Concrete Power Trowel Surface Finish Attachment

ABSTRACT

The present invention comprises a broom mounted on a power trowel so that a textured surface may be produced on wet concrete by a single operator in a single pass.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the art of finishing word concrete slabs, it is commonly known to employ a power trowel device, and to craft a textured surface finish using a hand held broom. After troweling the wet concrete, a long handled broom is used to texture the surface in a pattern such as a straight “North to South” fashion, or a clam shell finish, such as a “Half Moon”. Typically, such surface finishes exhibit characteristic start and stop marks because the broom handle is not long enough. Furthermore, the need for long handles and the accumulated weight of concrete lead to handle breakage, causing additional labor to retrieve broken brooms and to re-texture the surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a broom mounted on a power trowel so that a textured surface may be produced on wet concrete by a single operator in a single pass.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of the power trowel mounted broom of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown the trowel mounted broom of the present invention. Power trowel 10 is comprised of engine 12, safety guard 14, handle 16, and trowel blades 18 a, 18 b, 18 c, and 18 d. The present invention is comprised of hinge 20, boom 22, broom 24, and retractor 26. Hinge 20 is mounted on safety guard 14 and provides a point of attachment for boom 22, carrying at its end distal from hinge 20, broom 24. Boom 22 is hinged to swing through a substantially vertical arc, from a position in which broom 24 is in contact with the surface 5, on which power trowel 10 is resting, to a position in which broom 24 is completely out of contact with that surface. Retractor 26 is fixedly attached to either broom 24 or boom 22, to provide upward force to move broom 24 from its most downward position, to one in which it is not in contact with surface 5. Retractor 26 is preferably actuated from a convenient position on handle 16.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), hinge 20 may be mounted on engine 12. Retractor 26 may be any suitable device capable of applying upward force to disengage broom 24 from surface 5, such as a hydraulic cylinder, rope, spring, or the like. Another embodiment comprises a member to downwardly bias boom 22, such as a spring or gas cylinder, and an appropriate retractor for alleviating the downward force. The hinge may be conventional, having one degree of freedom, or may have more degrees of freedom such as a gimbal or ball joint.

While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than of limitation and that changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects. Rather, various modifications may he made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the spirit of the invention. The inventor further requires that the scope accorded their claims be in accordance with the broadest possible construction available under the law as it exists on the date of filing hereof (and of the application from which this application obtains priority, if any) and that no narrowing of the scope of the appended claims be allowed due to subsequent changes in the law, as such a narrowing would constitute an ex post facto adjudication, and a taking without due process or just compensation. 

I claim as my invention:
 1. A concrete texturing broom apparatus adapted to be attached to a power trowel, the trowel having an engine, a control handle, and a safety guard, the texturing broom apparatus comprising a broom, a boom, a hinge, and a retractor, the hinge being fixedly attached to the power trowel, the hinge providing a point of attachment for a first end of the boom, to allow a second end of the boom to move at least vertically, and the broom mounted to the boom in a manner permitting the broom to move at least vertically when actuated to come into contact with the surface upon which the power trowel is resting.
 2. The concrete texturing broom of claim 1 wherein the hinge is attached to the safety guard.
 3. The concrete texturing broom of claim 1 wherein the hinge is attached to the engine.
 4. The concrete texturing broom of claim 1 further comprising a means for retaining the broom in a position not in contact with the surface upon which the power trowel is resting.
 5. The concrete texturing broom of claim 1 wherein the boom extends from the power trowel at an angular position opposite from the control handle. 